The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-12-08

DOrtant question:, ana n we'll worthy
the most careful consideration by u
wisest heads. Cannot we Of the cotton
belt meet these conditions Of the dim
future which promise to so certainly
raise the price Of cotton and cotton
lands, with more certainty and salts
faction today, by an enlightened
method Of cooperation ? Can we who
own the cotton lands, both used and
unused, by a closer union and a more
enlightened understanding, organize
ourselves for business purposes, strict
ly, and so manage the amount Ct cotton
offered for sale each year, that it will
pay fair wages for the labor expended
in making it, and a Just interest on the
money invested .? | think we most
certainly can, but it will take a firm
and strong organization.
Again. of the seven and One-half
millions bales Of cotton made yearly IN
this country, a little over five millions
bales 60 to Europe, principally to
England. The price Of cotton IN
America is regulated by the English
market. Consequently England buys
two-thirds Of our crop and fixes all our
prices, and still we do not let her fur-
nish us a yard Of cotton cloth without
a duty of, I believe on the average
about so per cent, and as a conse
ouence she would buy none Of u cot
ton if she could supply herself else
where, and that being the case, it
would seem that the price should not
be governed by her dictum. The
cotton raisers are great sufferers by a
tariff that reduces the price of the
staple and increases the price of the
cloth but should we tie ourselves to
q tariff reduction as the remedy for
our ills? | think not. Large interests
would be rendered almost useless by
the removal Of the tariff. [ think we
should, in an organized capacity, call
upon the cotton factories to cease
calling upon the !. S. Government
for protection at Our expense, which
we are no longer able to stand, and
adopt a gradual system Of tariff reduc-
ton that will reach the cOnsummation
to be desired with injustice to no in
terest if they are not willing to adopt
and conform to this just demand, and
no unjust demand should ever be
made, they should be notified that we
will be compelled to build factories in
our w defense, to the end that we
may divide some Of the government
protection. If it should be decided to
build factories, the necessity for or
.ganization would again be imperative
in order to cooperate, in insurlng a
diversity of commodities as the result
of our effort, and in order to pledge
our cotton crop and borrow foreign
money with which to build u fac
tories, as it would be folly to use
money worth s Or 10 per cent. when
by giving good security we could get
it at four. Again, shall we tie on to
any political effort d? To this | want
to say God save US from any farmers
party or a party composed Of any one
class. Here we are fighting class
legislation, and some cry for a class
party. Let every man preserve his
own individual independence; freely
and fully let US unite in a business
sense and in that sense only. Let
harmonious and united political action
result from a proper conception Of
self-interest from al enlightened,
and liberal Judgment from an honest
heart, and | had nearly said a full
stomach-and, sir, it would have been
appropriate, because | have just come
from a farmers meeting in Texas
where one maj travelled over two
hundred miles to be with us stayed
five days on one meal a day SO that he
would have money enough to get home
on. | offered to loan him money and
he refused and said he would walk
home before he would submit to loan
a collection. This is the kind Of
devotion to principle that exists in the
rural districts, and it will do to tie to,
but woe be to him both in this world
and the next, that would disappoint
such devotion with the hope of relief
in partisan politics. Relief must come
by action, guided by an enlightened
understanding of the principles hal
underlie our system of government.
Men do not learn principles in po-
caucuses Or conventions. They
imbibe principles around the hearth
stone and at the mothers knee, and
these u system Of education must
commence, and if it does it will end